It is often important, for example in forensic research and analysis, to be able to determine the origin of a person or object or the path that the person or object has recently traveled. It can also be important for many other applications, for example, to sample and characterize the DNA biodiversity present in or on a person or object, including but not limited to bacteria, fungi, plant, micro- and other invertebrates, domesticated animals, and humans, among many others.
While there have been advances in the use of DNA as a source of investigative intelligence in fields such as forensics, there has not been a concerted effort to leverage the complete interspecific set of DNAs collected from an object or person of interest. For example, a package of concern acquired after being sent through the mail would commonly be analyzed with a primary focus on the identity of the humans who came into physical contact with the package. These analytical foci, especially for human identification purposes, have proven to be useful in investigations and criminal prosecutions; however there are limitations dependent upon the complexity of DNA deposited by a single species.
However, single-species targeting fails to leverage other DNA signatures that can provide additional, highly informative, data. This narrow approach does not take advantage of all possible DNA present, which can be used for identity and geolocation decision-making. The diversity of DNAs expected include those coming from pollen, bacteria, fungi, micro-invertebrates associated with humans, geospatial indicator species, and traces of domestic animals and native wildlife, among many other possibilities. If properly analyzed, the breadth, distributions, and levels of DNAs present from this wide variety of organisms would provide an unprecedented array of biological signatures that can be applied for intelligence applications. Characterization of these DNA signatures followed by association with particular locations or individuals could then be used to corroborate intelligence collected through alternate means, including a single-species analysis, and more traditional research.
Accordingly, there is a continued need in the art for methods and systems of sample analysis that characterize the full breadth of DNA biodiversity present on or in the sample, thereby enabling more precise DNA-based geolocation.